```json
{
    "title": "Monday Morning Greetings 2019 #4 – Oldies but Goldies: What is Vaiṣṇava Saṅga?",
    "url": "https://wavesofdevotion.com/2019/01/28/oldies-but-goldies-what-is-vaisnava-sanga/",
    "datePublished": "2019-01-28",
    "dateModified": "2019-01-27",
    "language": "en-US",
    "description": "It’s the one week of the year where I give myself leeway to not produce a new Monday Morning Greetings. I am incapable of devoting the concentration required to write…",
    "author": "Dhanurdhara Swami",
    "publisher": "Waves of Devotion"
}
```

# Monday Morning Greetings 2019 #4 – Oldies but Goldies: What is Vaiṣṇava Saṅga?

It’s the one week of the year where I give myself leeway to not produce a new

*Monday Morning Greetings*

. I am incapable of devoting the concentration required to write while overseeing and teaching during my annual Puri retreat. I will therefore be re-sharing an article I post every year at this time, which is also relevant to the retreat, a subject that I feel is so important that I think it merits reading again and again.

 

**What is Vaiṣṇava *Saṅga*?**

** **

Vaiṣṇava

*saṅga*

is an assembly of devotees mutually dedicated to the assembly’s objective — the glorification of the Supreme Lord.

 

As all members of the Vaiṣṇava

*saṅga*

are focused on that objective, personal objectives become secondary.

 

Although the leaders and senior Vaiṣṇavas may help guide the

*saṅga*

, and are appropriately respected, all participating members are deeply and equally valued as essential members of the

*saṅga*

.

 

Cooperation in a Vaiṣṇava

*saṅga*

is spontaneous and manifests genuinely out of the feelings of natural attachment and respect for authority within the

*saṅga*

. As much as practical within the

*saṅga*

, corporate or hierarchical structures of authority are not forcefully or externally imposed.

 

The channel of relationships and communication in a Vaiṣṇava

*saṅga*

is open due the trust among its members.

*Saṅga*

members thus get the maximum benefit from each other’s insights, including the realizations of its more spiritually mature members.

 

As mercy flows so freely in a Vaiṣṇava

*saṅga*

, a Vaiṣṇava

*saṅga*

naturally inspires humility in its members, which is the natural response to mercy.

 

The activities (service) of a Vaiṣṇava

*saṅga*

are born from a humble mood of service and thus truly become

*sevā*

, or devotional service.

 

As the members of the Vaiṣṇava

*saṅga*

are humble, they are constantly absorbed in

*nāma-saṅkīrtana*

.

 

A Vaiṣṇava

*saṅga*

is confident in the mercy it is experiencing within its

*saṅga*

. The members welcome and value any participant or visitor from any

*saṅga*

or organization as long as they sincerely want to serve the

*saṅga’s*

objectives.

 

A Vaiṣṇava

*saṅga*

does fear Vaiṣṇava

*aparādha*

. Its members deal very carefully and respectfully with everyone.

 

A Vaiṣṇava

*saṅga*

is thus the yoga of association, where members naturally control their minds and senses out of respect and appreciation for the association and care they are receiving within the

*saṅga*

.

 

The duty of an

*ācārya*

is to create Vaiṣṇava

*saṅga*

based on the six loving exchanges of a Vaiṣṇava. To assist in its development is the best offering of service for his pleasure.

 

A Vaiṣṇava

*saṅga*

is most attractive. Sincere people will appreciate it. Pure devotees will naturally gravitate towards it. It is the basis of spreading Vaiṣṇava

*dharma*

.